Coordination training device for small children



June 2, 1959 P. R. WILLIAMS 2,889,149

COORDINATION TRAINING DEVICE FOR SMALL CHILDREN Filed June 21, 1956INVENTOR.

PAUL R. WILLIAMS ATTORNEY Patented June 2, 1959 COORDINATION TRAININGDEVICE FOR SMALL CHILDREN Paul R. Williams, Marion, Ohio ApplicationJune 21, 1956, Serial No. 592,864

d Claims. (Cl. 273-403) The invention illustrated in the embodimentsthereof shown and described in this application relates to amuse ment,educational, and exercise apparatus. The illustrations of severalembodiments of my invention show several types of apparatus adaptedparticularly for use by a group of children. With the apparatusillustrated there is employed a ball such as a 7 rubber playground ballselected by the National Association of Childhood Education and areceiver such as a basket formed by a hoop and open bottomed taperednet. It is of course understood that the players shall throw the ballinto the basket.

Provision is made in the preferred embodiment so that the height of thebasket may be easily adjusted to the eye level of the children involved.It is to be especially pointed out at the outset that the types ofapparatus disclosed are especially adapted for small children.

While the device bears some resemblance to some devices used forpractice in shooting basket balls into basketball baskets, yet my deviceis different in that it is adapted especially for use in a smallcontrolled area as in a clossroom crowded with blocks, toys, etc., etc.,without interfering or interference and especially adapted for actingupon a ball which has passed through the basket so as to deflect it fromits normal vertical path and impart to it a trajectory which is radiallydisposed with respect to the device and which terminates within apredetermined restricted play area. The devices are especially adaptedfor cooperative play in the kindergartens of the public schools. Theyare designed for a basket toss game with unique features in that thebasket is located at the childs eye level rather than at adult heights.The basket and back board are adjustable up and down for dilferent agegroups as for example for children of from kindergarten through thethird grade. There is provided a unique ball deflector designed toreturn the ball to the area of play, which deflects the ball to thechildren at play Within an are so that as the ball may drop upon itsreturn at one of several points the ball is delivered on a single bounceat random to different players arranged in an arc around the basket.

The purpose of the game is to develop coordination of eyes, nerve andmuscle with resultant skill as a by-product, and at the same time togive the socializing benefit of cooperative play.

As suggested above the unique ball deflector is of special importance.The arrangement provided is not for a mere uncontrolled return, but isan adequate device for deflecting the path of a ball leaving the deviceinto a horizontal trajectory which terminates Within a predeterminedplaying area, thus enabling the small players to play in a designatedarea in a crowded classroom. It does not function merely as a return butfunctions to deliver the ball to small children on a slow bounce along atrajectory which terminates within a predetermined area.

It may be noted that the eccentric return is adjustable to follow thebasket up and down according to the ege of the children and in order todeflect the ball as may seem desirable.

One of the modifications is a smaller model for nursery schools with thebasket close to the floor or at the eye level for the younger child andhaving a deflector suitable for imparting a low, relatively flat,trajectory to a ball, thus simplifying the use of the equipment for thesimple use of the younger child.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide equipment suitable forthe use of small children of varying age levels and size, as forexample, from kindergarten through the third grade.

A further and most specific object of the invention is the provision ofa basket equipment provided with means for adjusting the basket up anddown depending on the age of the children and the size of the childrenusing it, and also adjusting a ball deflector up and down to cause itsposition to correspond and be appropriate to the position of the basket.

A further unique object of the invention is to provide a ball deflectorfor imparting a horizontal trajectory to a ball and means for adjustingthe position of the deflector so as to vary the pattern of the impartedtrajectory to return the ball at a desired distance on a slow singlebounce.

Further objects and features of the invention will be apparent fromconsideration of the accompanying drawings illustrating severalembodiments of my invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a view in perspective of a preferred embodiment of theinvention consisting of a standard to which there is adjustably attachedboth a basket and a ball deflecting device, the view being takensubstantially from directly in front of the device but at adult eyelevel;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the apparatus shown inFig. l, the basket being in substantially the same position as shown inFig. 1, but the ball deflecting device being adjusted upward slightlyfrom the position shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of a modification of the device shown inFig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a View in perspective of a second modification of the deviceshown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, for detailed description of theembodiments illustrated, it is seen that have shown in Fig. 1 an uprightstandard 11 having a T-shaped support 12 secured to the lower end of thestandard 11 as by angle iron braces 13 and 14. The standard 11 isprovided with a substantially vertical slot 15 extending from near itslower end to near its upper end. There are adjustably secured to thestandard 11 a basket 16, a backboard 17 and a return device 18 in themanner now explained. Formed integrally with the basket 16 or securedthereto in any suitable manner is a bolt 21 which extends through a hole22 formed in the backboard 17 and through the slot 15 of the standard111. The bolt is secured in the desired position by a nut such as, forexample, the wing-nut 23. Another bolt 24 extends through a hole 25which is positioned vertically below the hole 22 in the backboard 17.The bolt 24 also extends throughthe slot 15 and is secured in positionas by a wing-nut 26. A block 27 may be provided if desired between thestandard 11 and the wing nuts 2.3 and 26.

The return 18 is formed in the shape of a portion of the surface of acone, but is provided with a flat vertical flange 31 formed with holes32 and 33. A bolt 34 provided with a wing-nut 35 extends through thehole 32 and through the slot 15 and a bolt 36 having a wingnut 37extends through the hole 33 and through the slot 15. The bolts 34 and 36thus secure the return to the standard 11. A block 38 may be providedfor obvious reason between the standard 11 and the wing nuts 35 and 37.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 3 is for very young children only and isarranged so that neither the backboard, basket, nor the deflector areadjustable. Furthermore, in this embodiment of my invention, thedeflector is not conical but flat in order that the equipment may besimplified for the use of a younger child. Therein l have shown astandard 41, a backboard 4'7 secured thereto in any suitable manner, abasket 46 secured to the backboard 47 and also to the standard 41 in anysuitable manner, and a flat deflector 48 which is positioned at an angleto the vertical and is secured to the forward prongs of the Y-shapedsupport 12 and to the standard 41. The flat deflector 48 is'preferablyso positioned that it represents an angle of 15 with the horizontal.This I have found to be the simplest angle for the deflecting of theball directly to the younger child who should stand directly in front ofsaid device. A handle 49 is provided so' that the device is portable andmay be moved from school room to school room.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 4 includes a standard 51 formed with aplurality of holes such as the holes 55, and supported by a T-shapedsupport 52. The standard 51 is secured to the support 52 by angle ironbraces 53 and 54. The backboards 57 and 59 are secured to a block 60which is secured by bolts 61 and 64 passing through a pair of the holes55 formed in the upright 51. The conical eccentric deflector 58 may besecured to the standard 51 in a manner identical to that illustrated inthe embodiments shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It may be secured in a mannersimilar to that in which the block 60 is secured.

In the operation of the equipment shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 (a) thedevice is positioned preferably near one wall of a school room for smallchildren; ([2) basket with the backboard is adjusted upward or downwardso that the top thereof is approximately at eye level of the children;(c) the deflecting device is adjusted upward or downward so that it willdeflect the ball, imparting a trajectory to it which is radiallydisposed with respect to the device, and cause the ball to be directedon a single bounce to children arranged in a semicircle around thebasket at the desired distance; and (d) the children are arranged insuch semi-circle. It may be noted that the radius of the semi-circlevaries depending on the heights of the basket and of the deflectingdevice and especially the height of the latter. Thus the deflectingdevice is adjusted to the exact height to direct the ball on a singlecontrolled bounce to the exact radius of the semi-circle desired. Achild tosses the ball in the basket and the ball is thereafterredirected by the device toward the children in the semi-circle atrandom.

It is to be understood that the above described embodiments of myinvention are for the purpose of illustration only and various changesmay be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

1' claim:

1. An amusement apparatus for use by young children of varying agescomprising a vertically positioned standard having a verticallyextending slot; a backboard formed with a plurality of verticallyaligned holes and adjustably secured to said standard; a basket securedto said backboard; a bolt secured to said basket and extending throughone of the holes in the backboard and through said slot in the standard;another bolt extending through another of the vertically aligned holesin the backboard and through said slot whereby said backboard and basketare secured adjustably to the standard; a deflecting device having aflat rear surface and a front surface formed in the shape of a portionof a cone adjustably secured to said standard below said backboard andhaving said flat rear surface formed with vertically aligned holes; andbolts extending through a plurality of the holes in the deflectingdevice and through the slot in the standard for securing the deflectingdevice adjustably to the standard whereby the basket and backboard maybe adjusted up and down to the eye level of children of varying heightsand the deflecting device may be correspondingly adjusted up and down toa position beneath the basket.

2. An amusement apparatus for use by young childern of varying agescomprising a vertically positioned standard having at least one openingtherein; a backboard formed with a plurality of vertically aligned holesand adjustably secured to stand standard; a basket secured to saidbackboard; a bolt secured to said basket and extending through one ofthe holes in the backboard and through an opening in the standard;another bolt extending through another of the vertically aligned holesin the backboard and through an opening in the standard whereby saidbackboard and basket are secured adjustably to the standard; adeflecting device adjustably secured to said standard below saidbackboard; and bolts for securing the deflecting device adjustably tothe standard whereby the basket and backboard may be adjusted up anddown to the eye level of the children of varying heights and thedeflecting device may be correspondingly adjusted up and down to aposition beneath the basket.

3. An amusement apparatus for use by young children of varying agescomprising a vertically positioned standard having a verticallyextending slot; a backboard adjustably secured to said standard; abasket secured to said backboard; and a deflecting device having a flatrear surface and a front surface formed in the shape of a portion of acone adjustably secured to said standard below said backboard wherebythe basket and backboard may be adjusted up and down to the eye level ofchildren of varying heights and the deflecting device may becorrespondingly adjusted up and down to a position beneath the basketwhereby a ball tossed through the basket is deflected along a trajectoryextending radially from said standard and toward said children.

4. An amusement apparatus for use by young children of varying agescomprising a vertically positioned standard having at least one openingtherein; a backboard adjustably secured to said standard; a basketsecured to said backboard; and a deflecting device adjustably secured tosaid standard below said backboard whereby the basket and backboard maybe adjusted up and down to the eye level of the children of varyingheights and the deflecting device may be correspondingly adjusted up anddown to a position beneath the basket whereby a ball tossed through thebasket is deflected along a trajectory extending radially from saidstandard and toward said children.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS922,630 Reach May 25, 1909 993,392 Miller May 30, 1911 1,675,453 ForryJuly 3, 1928 1,765,269 Hatley June 17, 1930 1,767,424 Applegate June 24,1930 2,146,636 Lipchow Feb. 7, 1939 2,379,572 Gibson July 3, 19452,658,495 Elliott Nov. 10, 1953

